Obscure Strategies
by IrradiatedCactus
Summary: Sixteen year old Ruby Rose is a newcomer to the competitive side of her favorite fandom, Pokemon. Seventeen year old Neo Politan is a champion, known for being mute and her odd choice of Pokemon and strategies. When a chance encounter causes the two to meet, Neo decides to take Ruby under her wing and teach her. Will the mentorship stay professional or will Luvdisc be aplenty?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - 8-Bit Sweater

" _The two players are both down to their last Pokemon. Seth Heere has been reduced down to the Steel-Type Ultra Beast Celesteela, which doesn't prove good for Neo Politan. The Celesteela has the Type-Advantage over Miss Politan's Ice-Type Vanilluxe. The only hope she has of winning against Seth would be to outspeed the Celesteela and use Hidden Power, which has proven to be super-effective by the Pokemon earlier in the battle."_

Ruby watched while unconsciously holding in a breath, awaiting the outcome of the final match of the Pokemon World Championship. The moment was tense and it couldn't come fast enough. Ruby silently cheered Neo on, careful not to wake her napping sister. Neo was Ruby's inspiration for her recent delve into the competitive scene, and Ruby would always cheer her on. She was last year's Pokemon World Champion Her eyes glued to the screen, the commentator began speaking again. This was it.

" _It's down to this, folks. If Vanilluxe can outspeed Celesteela Neo will most likely grab the victory. Wait, it seems like Celesteela has somehow managed to be faster than the Vanilluxe!"_

Ruby let out the breath in defeat, accepting that good things must come to an end. But then a cheer came from the crowd, muffled thanks to the sound guys protecting live viewer's ears. Ruby's eyes darted back to her screen in excitement.

" _But in a miraculous twist Vanilluxe has dodged Celesteela's attack, using Hidden Power and taking it down! Ladies and gentlemen, it's over! For the second year in a row Neo Politan has won the Pokemon World Championship, keeping her title as the best competitive player in the world intact! The crowd is going wild! Viewers at home, be sure to tweet your excitement! Be sure to come back tomorrow for the card game event to see if Neo Politan will reign supreme there as well! We'll come back in a minute."_

Ruby couldn't hold it in. She cheered loudly and jumped out of her chair, jumping about in excitement. She eventually came back to her senses, panting from the jumping she had just done. A crash from outside Ruby's room told her she had woken up her sister Yang. A furious knock on her door came pounding, so hard it almost threatened to break the door. Ruby rushed to open it, prepared to apologize. Yang was on the other side, tired eyes and out of breath.

"What happened?! Why did you scream? Are you hurt?" Yang asked in a tired delirium as she held back a yawn.

"Yang, I'm fine. I'm sorry I woke you up. I just got excited." Ruby answered. Yang realized what Ruby was talking about as she came out of her tired state of confusion. She remembered that there was some big tournament going on that was important to Ruby, and that Ruby was rooting for someone to win. Yang could safely assume that said someone had been victorious. She was glad Ruby could still enjoy the event, even though they hadn't been able to go. And it was only one state away, too…

Yang yawned, giving a thumbs up and made her way back to the couch, hoping she would be able to finish her nap. Ruby returned back to her desk, closing out of the streaming website that was Twitch. Nothing else would happen there today. Noticing the time was 5:47 Ruby was about to prepare something for dinner before she got a call on her Discord. She put on her headphones, adjusted her microphone, and answered the call.

" _Hey Ruby!"_ Came a male voice from the other end. It was Jaune Arc, Ruby's best friend since the sixth grade. She was the only person who would talk to him after he got carsick on the bus and was known as "Vomit Boy" for the rest of the year. " _You saw the last match, didn't you? Oh, please say you did!"_

"I did, Jaune. I was practically holding my breath the entire time. I was worried Neo wasn't gonna win at the end there. I screamed when her Vanilluxe made such a comeback."

" _Yeah, her Vanilluxe is a beast. That ice cream Pokemon is practically Neo's mascot at this point. Remember last year when everyone was super cocky against her because she wasn't using the same builds everyone else was? Her entire team is filled with obscure Pokemon who end up being strangely powerful."_

"Not to mention she made sure to change it from last year, aside from the Vanilluxe. She was super prepared. And this is only her second year competing for pete's sake! I wish I could do that too…"

The thought of food now gone from her mind, Ruby chatted with Jaune for what seemed like hours before they were inevitably joined by their friends Nora, Ren, and Sun. Nora and Ren came in and greeted like normal, but Sun had hopped in the call and immediately began talking, so fast that no one could understand him.

"Sun! Calm down! We can't understand you!" Ruby yelled into the mic, finally getting the attention of her friend. Ruby compared him to a monkey. He was hyperactive, tended to get loud when excited, and really liked bananas. Sun took a few deep breaths before continuing.

" _Sorry, guys. I'm just super hyped, and I rushed to my house as fast as I could to spread the good news. Guys, Hamacon tickets are finally available for booking."_ And at the mention of this, everyone immediately gasped with excitement. Well, except Ren. Ruby went to Google and looked it up, her excitement visible in her bouncing leg. One search for Hamacon and there it was: Hamacon, the anime convention the group had been looking forward to all year, from the Friday of June the twenty-third through the Sunday of June the twenty-fifth. The tickets were already half sold out. For a mini-convention, it was oddly popular. The highlights of the convention included a panel featuring Matthew Mercer, a Cosplay Contest, and, much to Ruby's delight, a Pokemon Trading Card Game tournament.

"It's about time! I've been saving up for months. I dealt with too many old ladies wanting to "see my manager" just because they didn't like that I dyed my hair. I swear, I'd quit that job simply because of how often the customers are rude to me and my fellow employees." Ruby complained, confirming the payment for her ticket. "I like working there too much though, so it's a win/lose situation. Speaking of…" Ruby checked the clock, noting it was now half past nine o' clock. "I should probably head to sleep now. I've got to get up early for work. See you guys tomorrow." Ruby disconnected, putting her computer into sleep mode, spinning around in her chair and flopping onto her bed. Tomorrow was another day. Another boring day, but a day nonetheless.

" _Besides, it's a Sunday tomorrow. Nothing exciting happens on a Sunday."_

Ruby rubbed her eyes as she used her keys to unlock the door to the bookstore. She took in a deep breath to attempt to wake herself up. 2nd & Charles, the best place to be if you were an avid reader or you needed somewhere to revel in your fandom. The perfect place for Ruby to work. She snuggled into her hoodie, the drastic temperature difference between the outside and the inside of the building affecting her. She knew it was about to be June but she really like her hoodie. Ruby made her way behind the front counter, where customer's came to pay for their purchases. Waiting for her was Blake, another of Ruby's small circle of friends, and Mercury, a fellow employee that Ruby didn't enjoy the company of but had to deal with anyway.

"Hey, Ruby." Blake greeted, putting down the book she had been reading. Ruby gave a wave, still a bit too tired to give a smile. Ruby searched through the cabinets behind the counter, searching through them. She groaned in frustration when she pulled out an empty box, the label indicating it used to have cans of Monster in it. Ruby glanced over at Mercury, who was happily taking big swigs. "Did you seriously have a secret stash of energy drinks?"

"Well, I did. Yang doesn't let me drink them at home, so I drink them here so I can wake up and work properly. Though it looks like somebody found it and has been drinking from it." Ruby replied, annoyed and glaring at Mercury. Checking her phone, Ruby gathered that her boss likely wouldn't be arriving for another hour. "I'm gonna go to the gas station and buy one, or else I'll be grumpy and tired all day. Want anything?" Blake shook her head, returning to her book.

Ruby walked out of the store, swiftly heading to the edge of the road. She quickly crossed the street, being careful not to get hit by a car. Once there, she pushed the door open as a bell rung, signaling her entrance. Ruby stepped to the back of the store, searching for the Monsters in the large coolers. Eventually finding them, Ruby was tasked with making the toughest decision of the day: what flavor to get.

As she pondered among her options, a hand with a white sleeve appeared in front of her face to grab a strawberry-flavored Monster. Though startled, Ruby politely backed away, realizing that she had been blocking the drinks from someone else. Looking over at the mysterious hand, Ruby saw a girl shorter than her, which was certainly a rarity. The girl was wearing a sweater where one side was white and the other was brown. She was wearing a pair of pixel sunglasses, sunglasses where the frames were jagged, similar to an 8-bit video game. Her hair was tucked away neatly within a pink beanie.

"Oh, I'm sorry about that." Ruby apologizing, deciding to just grab a regular Monster as not to block anyone else just in case. The girl gave a smile and a wave, seeming to say that it was fine. "Seems you needed a morning energy boost too, huh?" Ruby asked, half-joking. The girl in the sweater nodded in reply. The two stood there for a moment before they awkwardly walked in different directions, only to end up back together at the cash register. Ruby stood behind the girl, allowing her to go first. The man behind the counter rang the girl up, telling her that it was two dollars. The girl reached for her pocket before face-palming. Reaching into a pocket in her sweater, she pulled out a notebook and pen. Ruby was confused.

"Oh. Well, sorry little miss, but I can't sell this to you then. Have a nice day, however." The man said, taking the drink. The girl with the sweater stepped out from the store, an awkward look on her face. Ruby stepped up to the counter, allowing the man to ring her up. Looking down, Ruby finally understood one thing: that the girl had forgotten her wallet at home. The one thing she didn't get is why she wrote it on a piece of paper. The cash register interrupted her thought. "That'll be two dollars."

"Um, actually, can I pay for that girl's drink?" Ruby asked, pulling out a five-dollar bill. The man behind the register shrugged, a gesture meaning "why not?" He took the five dollars, gave Ruby the drinks, and wished Ruby a nice day. Ruby hurried outside, hoping the girl didn't leave yet. She spotted the sweater-wearing girl standing beside a white car, looking at her phone. Ruby walked up to her, and handed out the pink Monster can. The sweater-clad girl looked up, confused. "I, uh, saw the note you wrote about forgetting your wallet. So I decided to pay for it for you." Ruby told her, her hands grabbing onto her own after the girl took it. After a good second, Ruby stuck out her hand again, offering a handshake. "Oh, my name's Ruby by the way! Nice to meet you!" The girl hesitantly shook Ruby's hand. The girl's mouth opened for a moment, as if she was about to say something, however a voice came from behind them.

"Sis, ready to head out?" A man with an all white hoodie walked up. His red hair stuck out from his hat, and a large tuft of it covered his right eye. The man's eyebrows shot up in what seemed to be surprise. "Hey, finally decided to make some new friends? Awesome, sis." The man comically noogied her head. Sweater-Girl gave her brother a glare, but he didn't bat an eye. "Hey there… Red. The name's Roman Torchwick, pleased to make your acquaintance." He bent and took Ruby's hand, kissing the back of it, causing Ruby to slightly blush. Sweater-Girl slapped his arm after he did, shooting him another glare. "Alright, alright, geez! I'll just get in the car." Roman stepped to the other side and got into the driver's side, closing the door. Sweater-Girl crossed her arms and shook her head, an annoyed look on her face. She took out the notebook and the pen and wrote something, folding it and handing it to Ruby. Sweater-Girl waved goodbye to Ruby, getting in the car and driving off with Roman. Ruby cracked her can open and took a sip. Truly an odd pair of siblings. Right as Ruby went to read the note, she felt her phone vibrate.

" _Ruby, hurry up! Coco is gonna be pissed if you don't get here in the next five minutes!"_

Ruby silently cursed, shoving the note into her pocket and running back across the street. She practically burst through the door, panting from the run. A woman wearing a beret looked over, glanced at her watch, and nodded. Ruby blushed from the embarrassment of almost being late, but she sucked it up and made sure to begin her work.


	2. Chapter 2 - A Meeting of Blades

"Hey, Ruby, I was wondering, what took you so long this morning?" A voice asked from behind, the familiar sound of a book closing. Ruby turned around, seeing Blake look down at her, still holding the book from that morning. After her close call, she had been put to work restocking shelves. It had been about two hours since they opened at eleven in the morning, and Ruby had managed to make her way to the Zs of the non-fiction section, which took up a majority of the store.

"Oh, I met this girl while I was over there. She had forgotten her wallet so I bought the drink she had wanted to buy for her." Ruby replied, putting another book on the shelf.

"Oh. Did you know this girl?" Blake asked, eyebrow raised.

"I don't think so… but now that you mention it, there was something familiar about her." Ruby thought back to the girl. Her sunglasses and beanie made her face indiscernible, but Ruby was realizing there was something familiar about her. "Plus she was mute, so I didn't catch her name…" Ruby thought back to how Sweater-Girl had written down things she wanted to say on some notebook paper. Then she remembered the paper given to her by the girl. Reading it, Ruby's eyes widened and she almost started hyperventilating.

" _My name is Neo Politan. Nice to meet you Ruby! I'm sure you're confused, so: I'm mute. Yeah. Thanks for buying that drink for me!"_

"Oh, are you serious?!" Ruby exclaimed, careful not to yell and disturb the shoppers. Blake stared at Ruby, a mix of worry and confusion. Ruby showed Blake the paper, only to end up with an even more confused Blake. Pulling out her phone, Ruby showed Blake the clip of Neo Politan winning the World Championship. "I was rooting for her the entire time. For me this is like if you just ran into J.K. Rowling on the street. But you didn't know it was her, and you bought her a Monster." Blake gave Ruby a pat on the shoulder, understanding. A yell from Coco telling them to get back to work caused them to rush back into their focused modes. Ruby pushed the cart of books to the next aisle, letting out a breath.

" _I suppose I shouldn't stress out over this too much… I'm probably not ever gonna see her again."_

And indeed she didn't… for about three weeks.

In the three weeks after that day, Ruby had been focused on Hamacon. It was one of the only conventions she got a chance to go to, since not many were held where she lived. The cosplay she was planning was simple, and yet difficult to create at the same time. She worked for two weeks, spending almost every waking hour stitching, styling and crafting. Until, finally, she had completed it: her cosplay of Rukia Kuchiki in her Soul Reaper outfit. Taking a black bathrobe and stitching white cloth on the edges to form her… Ruby didn't know what it was officially called. The wig was difficult to style, but certainly not the most difficult. While she could have used her normal hair, Ruby opted for the wig route. It was a lot more fun.

Then came the true test: crafting a replica katana from plastic, styrofoam, and a lot of super glue. This was the true goal of almost any cosplayer. When you could successfully create a weapon replica from scratch, you could consider yourself an advanced cosplay creator. Not one of the greats, but certainly advanced. Ruby was committed to the cause, often causing late nights for herself after losing track of the time. However, with sweat, tears, and a little blood, Ruby finished her goal with almost a week to spare. The night she did, she marveled at her creation, holding it delicately in her palms. The handle was created using a thin PVC pipe screwed onto a wooden handguard, out from which a styrofoam blade was connected and super glued onto a thin metal rod. Said blade was spray painted with a white sheen, and reinforced with a clear finish to make sure it didn't rub when pulled in and out of a sheath Ruby fashioned from an old backpack. There was no way Ruby was carrying that thing everywhere. The wooden guard was painted white as well, with the design delicately cut from it. The pipe, already being white, only needed to be wrapped in a white cloth, to achieve authenticity and a comfortable hold for the owner.

This sword was truly Ruby's greatest creation. Even when she revealed it to Yang, someone who didn't particularly enjoy most of Ruby's numerous fandoms, the blonde was quite impressed by her hard work. Jaune and Nora were particularly impressed when shown the fake sword. Sun would have been too if he hadn't managed to one-up Ruby by creating both of Kirito's swords from Sword Art Online for his own cosplay. Ruby could only gawk at the picture he sent of him wielding both. And before Ruby knew it, it was finally the day of the convention.

After a thirty-minute car ride, Ruby, along with Sun, Jaune, and Nora took their first steps into the building, and it was like a paradise. Booths as far as the eye could see. Cosplays galore. The smell of ramen wafted from a noodle shop, making Ruby's mouth water. She was finally here. Whipping out her map and schedule, Ruby looked amongst the various events available to attend.

"Let's see… there's going to be a One Piece panel soon, looks like some sort of debate style event. Not my thing. Ooh, there's a candy sushi thing, sounds delicious. There's also-" Ruby felt a hand grab her shoulder, It belonged to Jaune, holding his own map.

"Ruby, calm down. We just got here, at least let us look at the booths first." Jaune requested of the excited girl. Ruby nodded, giving the boy an awkward smile. Strolling around the booths, Ruby recognized several artists and creators whose work she had admired for years. She had to restrain herself from buying any items just yet. The money from her recent paycheck was to enter into the Pokemon Card Game mini-tournament. To add salt to the wound Jaune had found a metal replica of the Keyblade from Kingdom Hearts that was within the price range of said paycheck.

" _Alright, calm down. Save the money, save the money."_

Ruby repeated the mantra to herself as she continued to walk, not realizing she wasn't paying attention in front of her. Ruby walked straight into another person, profusely apologizing after. Whoever got ran into was dressed as Ryuko Matoi, main character of Kill la Kill. Luckily, the girl had opted to go with the outfit that wasn't used in combat. That would have made the entire encounter even weirder. Ruby marveled at the craftsmanship used to create this cosplayer's replica of Ryuko's half-scissor blade. Snapped back into reality by a hand waving in front of her face, Ruby looked back at the cosplayer. The cosplayer gave a smile and a wave, which Ruby returned before her wrist was grabbed and she was dragged out of the crowded booth room and into a room filled with tables and people playing various games.

"Hey, what was that for?! You can't jus-" Ruby was interrupted by the Ryuko handing her a notebook. On the open page were five simple words. Five simple words that would change Ruby's life, even if she didn't know it yet.

" _So we meet again, Ruby."_

Ruby's gaze switched back between the words and the cosplayer's face, which Ruby now noticed that her eyes were two different colors. One was pink, the other brown. It was Neo Politan, the girl that Ruby rooted for the entire weekend of a World Championship. The girl with the two-colored sweater whom Ruby bought a Monster for. Standing in front of Ruby was her inspiration for wanting to get into the competitive side of the game.

"O-oh, nice to see you again, N-Neo." Ruby managed to stammer out. Taking the notebook back from Ruby, Neo motioned for Ruby to sit. Ruby did, but fidgeted with her hands as she did so.

" _It's nice to see you again. I appreciate what you did for me at the gas station a few weeks ago."_ Neo scribbled onto the paper, sliding it to Ruby.

"It's no problem, really. I understand when someone needs an energy boost." Ruby forced a small laugh. "Wait, how did you recognize me? It's not like my half-black, half-red hair is just on display."

" _Your silver eyes."_ Neo wrote, then paused before adding. " _I think it's really cool to find someone else with uncommon eye traits."_ Ruby nodded with an "Ah." She was used to being easily recognizable because of her silver eyes. Ruby sat patiently as Neo write out another message.

"Oh! By the way, I never got to say congratulations on your World Championship win, since I didn't know who you were last time." Neo's eyebrows raised, seeming surprised. She scribbled out the previous message and wrote another.

" _Thanks! I'm actually surprised to meet someone outside of those I know who watched it."_

"Of course I watched it! After I saw you win last year, it inspired me to start getting into the competitive side of Pokemon. And I was rooting for you to win that entire weekend. Your Vanilluxe is absolutely awesome, and I was super surprised when you used that Garbodor, of all things. Yet, it all managed to work out, because the Garbodor was able to increase its defense enough to barely get hurt by physical attacks, and the Gunk Shot was able to do half damage almost every-" Ruby stopped when she saw that Neo was silently giggling. Ruby realized she had begun ranting, causing her to blush again.

" _I'm sorry. You're the first person who's memorized my strategies and Pokemon used. You seem really passionate about the game."_ Ruby furiously nodded, only causing Neo to laugh even more. " _So, are you going to be competing in that mini-tournament then?"_

"You bet! Though, now I'm not so sure, seeing as you'll be playing." Ruby crossed her arms, thinking of the deck she had made for the tournament, which was currently in her bag along with a tub of Pokemon cards she had collected over the years.

" _Don't worry, I'm not as good at the card game as I am the video game. I could still probably beat you, though."_ Neo teased, the mocking tone somehow heard by Ruby despite it being a note. " _If you're up for it, mind if we play a quick game? I might even be able to help, seeing as you're a rookie."_ Ruby quickly agreed, the challenge and the teasing swaying her decision. Even though Ruby was a bit worried, she was still confident. After all, Neo had said she wasn't as good at the card game. What kind of strategy could Neo possibly have this time?

A really good one, that's what.

Ruby groaned in frustration as Neo drew her final prize card, winning her the game. Neo was ruthless, taking out Ruby's benched Pokemon with Ability attacks from Golbats and Crobats. Her main Pokemon, a Gallade-EX and, occasionally, a Mega Gallade-EX, didn't get knocked out at all, taking any hits from Ruby's Fire-Types and hitting back with 80 damage or more. At the end, Ruby had only taken one Prize-Card. She didn't stand a chance against Neo.

" _Wow. Uh, Ruby, no offense, but that might be the easiest match I've ever played."_ Ruby crossed her arms, pouting. Neo took the notebook back and began to write something until a look of inspiration flashed on her face. Ruby watched with curiosity as Neo fished through her bag and pulled out a binder, full of pages of Pokemon cards. Neo flipped through them until she found the cards she was looking for. Taking them out, she quickly wrote a message out to Ruby, pushing the notebook to her with the cards on it. " _Here, take these cards and I'll help you remake that Fire-type deck of yours. Think of this as repayment for the Monster."_ The cards given to Ruby were four Litten cards, three Torracat cards, two Incineroar cards and one Incineroar-GX.

"Neo, I can't take these. They're yours. Even if it's a "repayment," I shouldn't take them." Ruby began to push them back but Neo stopped her, taking the notebook and pushing the cards back to Ruby.

" _Nope. I'm gonna help you, whether you like it or not. Now, pull out those cards of yours and let's get to work."_ Neo protested, sitting down next to Ruby.

"Okay, fine. But if you want these back don't hesitate to ask." Ruby said firmly, taking out the small tub she had brought with her. Neo nodded, opened the tub, and began to flick through it, searching furiously. As she did, Ruby had a gut feeling this wasn't going to be a boring weekend.

 **A/N So, greetings for those that are reading this. First of all, for those that are reading this for the ship and not the idea of a Pro training a Rookie, I apologize for any of the stuff you might not understand about Pokemon, both the Video Games and the card game. For those who enjoy both, how am I doing so far?**

 **Also, I'm sorry for skipping over the match between Ruby and Neo. I'll probably skip over the card games a lot, since there are just too many steps to be able to alternate between each person's turns. This is much more about the Romance anyway, even though this is going to be a bit of a slow burn before I get to the fluff. The next chapter is going to be the mini-tournament, and I plan for the fourth chapter to be the beginning of the love and fluff. I also plan to get my chapters longer, maybe 3,00 to 4,000 words, but for now they'll be probably be around 2,500. See y'all next time!**


	3. Chapter 3 - The Tournament

"Done!" Ruby put the final card into the deck box. Neo gave a proud smile and a thumbs-up. After an hour of searching and strategizing, the two girls finally put together a deck that was both legal for the tournament and decently strong. In exchange, however, Ruby missed the morning events. She just had to hope Jaune made her some candy sushi.

"Ruby?" Speak of the devil and he shall come. Jaune came from behind the two girls, sadly no sushi in his hands. "We've been looking everywhere for you. We thought you bailed on us for a second." Jaune took a seat at the table, exhaling in what seemed to be exhaustion. "I've been walking all day. Hey, who's your friend?" Jaune asked, taking note of Neo. Ruby introduced the two, Jaune obviously not picking up on who he had just shook hands with. Grabbing her schedule, Ruby gazed at what events were happening that hour.

"Let's see… visual novel panel, Cosplay Contest entry…" Ruby skimmed over the paper, searching for something that piqued her interest. Then her eyes fell on one event, happening in only 15 minutes. "Oh, a Prince of Stride panel! I thought no one knew about that anime!" Jaune face-palmed, while Neo simply looked at Ruby confused. Jaune explained the situation.

"Ruby got into a sports anime called Prince of Stride a few months ago. Ever since she's wanted to start doing freerunning and parkour." Jaune pulled out a box of Pocky, sticking one in his mouth. "Problem is, she doesn't have the dedication to start working out more or find any classes. The only thing she can truly dedicate herself to is Pokemon, as you've likely discovered." Ruby shot Jaune a glare, which Jaune returned by putting his hands up. "You can't tell me I'm wrong. About any of that."

"Yeah, well, I'm going to it, whether you like it or not. And for your information, I can so dedicate myself to something." Ruby countered, sticking her tongue out at Jaune, who simply rolled his eyes.

"Oh, can you now? Alright, tell me something that you've seen all the way through, that doesn't involve any geek culture." Jaune added on the last part, predicting that Ruby would show her sword as an example. Ruby thought to the last year, thinking of anything, one thing, she had actually done.

"Well, I got a well-paying job, for one." Ruby crossed her arms triumphantly, thinking she had the upper hand.

"Yeah, so did I. So did Nora. Even Sun got a decent paying job. Not exactly groundbreaking, Ruby." Jaune bit into the Pocky, breaking of a chunk and chewing it. Ruby gave him a final glare before grabbing her bag and standing.

"Thanks for the help, Neo. I'll see you at the tournament." Ruby smiled and waved, not giving Jaune another look. The silent treatment always worked on him. As Ruby began walking away, Neo scribbled something down in her notebook, grabbed her own belongings and stopped Ruby before she left the room, showing her the message.

" _Actually, mind if I tag along? It sounds interesting!"_ Neo asked, straightening her wig. Ruby accepted happily, not expecting when Neo grabbed her hand and began to drag her through the crowded room of booths, since they had to make their way through to get to the room holding the panel. They dodged bulky plastic armor, styrofoam weapons, and enthusiastic con-goers wanting to get their picture. By the time they had made it to the other side, Ruby wasn't sure if she was still even alive based on how close they came into running into literally everything. Neo thankfully stopped, allowing Ruby a moment to catch her breath. Neo let go of Ruby's hand to look at the schedule again to see what direction the panel room was. When she did, Ruby suddenly noted how soft the mute girl's skin was.

" _Weird thought to have."_ Ruby thought to herself, standing up straight. Neo had determined by now that the panel's room was up a flight of stairs to their right, and was about to grab Ruby's hand again before she was stopped. "Let's just walk there. We don't need to rush." Neo blushed at her sudden burst of excitement, giving Ruby an awkward smile and nodding. The two made their way up the stairs, passing by other con-goers. "So, Neo, what are you doing in Alabama? I know you were in Tennessee for the Championships, but it doesn't take someone a month to get home." Ruby asked, curious. Neo scribbled and walked, careful not to trip.

" _I live here! I'm from Montgomery. I almost had to force Roman to drive me up here. We had to leave fairly early this morning."_ Neo silently laughed, her shoulders shaking. " _My brother isn't really into the stuff I am, and he's a bit protective, but he's always supported me."_ Ruby nodded, understanding.

"I know that feeling. My older sister, Yang, is the same way, just with a little added protection. Ever since Mom… left, she's made sure that I didn't get so much as a scratch on me." Ruby smiled sadly. Neo's own smile vanished, replaced with sad curiosity. She went to write in her notebook, but decided against it. "What about you? What's your family like?" Neo quickly scribbled in her notebook, noticing they were almost to the panel room.

" _We're a fairly normal family. My step-dad's a pain in the rear sometimes, but he's cool. He's always been there for me, supporting me all the way. My mom is a lot like Roman, despite not being related. She was kind of forced to become the man of the house early on, so she's always been like a dad to me too. Always doing what we here in the south call "a man's work," if you catch my drift."_ Neo finished as they settled into their seats, able to set down her pen.

"Oh, well that's awesome! I'm glad you've had a relatively fine life." Ruby smiled again, handing the notebook back to Neo. At this point, the panel had started, the voice actors of the series taking their seat on stage. The panel had ended up being about physical fitness, much to Ruby's delight as she began taking notes, wanting to prove Jaune wrong. However, much of the others who had entered left, probably not wanting to be told that they were unhealthy or fat, much to the voice actor's dismay.

"...Could we have a member of the audience to come on stage and help show us what we mean?" Said one voice actor, a man who Ruby didn't know the name of. "You, the Rukia Kuchiki! How about you?" The actor called, pointing at Ruby. Ruby, about to say no and hide, was nudged by Neo. A nod and a smile told Ruby what the other was trying to say.

" _Do it, you dunderhead."_

Ruby nervously stood, walking onto the stage and joining the actors. The voice actor who called her up smiled, and put a weight into her hand. Ruby easily held the five pounds, gripping it in her hands.

"Young miss, how much do you work out a week?" The actor asked, his hands on his hips. Ruby thought for a moment, debating to lie or tell the truth.

"Ah, I'd say once…" The actor nodded approvingly. "...a month." The actor lost his smile and stopped nodding, his face turning to disappointment.

"So, that being established, it proves that without the right amount of exercise..." The man grabbed another weight, and placed it in Ruby's hand. "It can lead to an imbalance in your body." The sudden twenty pounds in her other hand causing Ruby to stumble, falling to the ground. The actor and the room filled with laughing, making Ruby blush. "Sorry, young miss. Hope I didn't embarrass you. Everyone give her a round of applause!' The actor cheered, causing the panel attendees to erupt in clapping, which remained until Ruby sat back in her seat. Neo silently giggled as Ruby sat back down, giving the girl a reassuring smile. Ruby returned to watching the panel, embarrassed out of her mind.

Neo and Ruby attended many other events after the Prince of Stride panel ended, mixed with booth visiting and resisting the temptation to spend their tournament entry money on anything. Lunch was an interesting time, as by then Jaune had worked out who Neo was and was speechless. Nora and Sun got along well with her, giving her praise for her victory. Through all of it, what Ruby enjoyed the most were the photographers who took pictures of cosplayers and the people who wanted pictures with her, including an Ichigo Kurosaki cosplayer, who had his own homemade oversized sword.

Finally, after a day of walking, posing, listening and resist-to-start-shopping, the time of the tournament rolled around. Decks in hand, they entered the area that the tournament was to take place in. However, what the girls saw before them was almost disheartening. Including them, there were only eight competitors, while the area used for the tournament easily fit five times as many tables.

"What? Why aren't there more people?" Ruby asked aloud, looking at the six other competitors. They payed the girls no mind, focused on preparing their decks. The man who was likely hosting the event approached them, apology evident on his face.

"Unfortunately, there just aren't many people here who enjoy the card game. Others who did arrive had the video game version with them, likely having misread the event information. We can still hold a tournament, just not as big of one as we hoped." The man answered, his arms crossed. He informed Neo, Ruby, and the competitors that the tournament would begin in less than five minutes before moving back to his laptop. "This isn't going to be as much fun as I hoped is it?" Ruby asked disappointed. Neo gave her a reassuring pat on the back as they moved to the nearest table, sitting down and keeping the belongings there.

When the tournament started, Ruby got matched up against a man who Ruby predicted to be in his early twenties. The two greeted, shook hands, and began the match. Right off the bat, Ruby wasn't looking too good. Her hand consisted of two Basic Pokemon, one being a Charmander the other being a Litten. She played the Charmander as her Active Pokemon, and putting Litten on the bench. When the cards were flipped to reveal them to their opponents, once again Ruby was at the disadvantage. It seemed the man was using a Water-Type deck, his active Pokemon being a Tentacool and his benched being a Palkia-GX.

A few turns later and Ruby lost her Charmander, adding him to the Discard Pile and sending the Litten, having now evolved into a Torracat, out to fight. Despite having all the necessary Energy cards on Torracat to use his moves, loss was imminent for Ruby. As she pondered and stared at her hand, a groan came from a match in a different part of the room. Glancing over, Ruby saw that Neo had been victorious in her match already. Look at her opponent's Pokemon, Ruby would definitely lose. His Palkia had been switched to be his Active Pokemon and was charged up, not even having to use it's GX-Attack. Ruby decided to attack one last time, doing ninety damage to the Palkia but to no avail. He quickly attacked with a Water-Type move, doing double damage and taking out all of Ruby's usable Pokemon. She had lost her first match, and was out for the rest of the tournament.

Ruby let out a frustrated sigh as she stacked her deck back up and placed it in it's box. Neo had walked up, and could already tell by the look on Ruby's face that she had lost. Patting her back, Neo offered a smile for Ruby to attempt to make her feel better. Ruby quickly cheered up, her mild disappointment vanishing. Giving her thanks, Ruby returned the smile. Neo went to compete in her second, satisfied with her helping of Ruby. Ruby simply sat there, watching Neo dominate with her Ice-themed deck.

Until she didn't.

It was the final match. Neo up against an older guy, maybe in his thirties, who was using a Steel- and Fighting-Type deck. Her vulnerability against the Steel-Type was the ultimate downfall. When it came down to Neo's Alolan Ninetales against the man's Excadrill, there wasn't much hope left. The Ninetales was knocked out, allowing the man to draw the final of six Prize Cards and win the game. Neo hung her head in defeat but took it graciously, shaking the man's hand afterwards as a sign of good sportsmanship. The prize for winning was a simple twenty-pack box of booster packs for the game, so it wasn't a big deal. However, the two girls couldn't help but regret losing. After all, no one actually likes losing. When the tournament wrapped up, it was time for the convention to close for the day. Ruby and Neo met back up with Jaune, Nora and Sun, where Ruby waved goodbye to her new friend as she followed her group back to the car.

"Have a good day, I presume?" Yang asked as Ruby walked back into their apartment, startling Ruby.

"I did, actually. Spent most of it with a new friend, instead of with the group like I thought." Yang raised an eyebrow at this, but didn't pry. Ruby rid herself of the robe and styrofoam sword, flopping onto the couch. "She's awesome to hang around. Anytime we weren't in a panel, we were talking… er… conversing about basically anything. Anime, life, and just other stuff. It's nice to have a new face to talk to, and not just the voice of some dude who lives in, like, North Carolina." Ruby reflected on the day spent with Neo, going from panel to panel, booth to booth and slapping each other's hand when they picked up anything that could be bought.

"You've still got tomorrow, little one. So go to sleep. If you don't you're gonna end up missing it, cuz I sure as hell won't be up by then to wake you." Yang ordered, pushing Ruby off the couch.

"Ok, Yang, fine. Geez." Ruby rubbed her head, taking her sister's advice and going to her room, falling onto her bed and curling up under the covers. That night she dreamed about the fun that could be had the next day, fun that involved a specific set of brown and pink eyes.

"So how come you didn't want to go into that panel? I thought you said you loved that show." Ruby asked Neo as they walked with Sun, all three back in costume. Neo took out her pen and scribbled, a frown on her face.

" _The original creator died half-way through it's third season. I still love the show, but when I think about the animators and the people who made it, I always think about him. It's just really sad when I do."_ Neo inspected a Soul Eater manga as Ruby read the message.

"That makes sense. It would suck to not be able to finish something you worked on for so long. Especially if you won't ever be there to see it finished if it gets continued." Ruby empathized with Neo, and handed the notebook back. Despite the dreams of the previous night, the convention on Saturday wasn't as fun as the previous, as more people had shown up and panels were full. There was only so much to do at a con before it got boring. Ruby was considering leaving, but wanted to keep hanging out with Neo.

Luckily, her fears were settled when lunch rolled around an hour or two later and Neo handed Ruby another message.

" _Hey, I'm bored. The panels are all full and I don't feel like seeing if a spot opens. Want to get out of here and get something to eat?"_ Neo asked as they were walking to the designated eating area. Ruby quickly said yes, making sure to tell Sun what was happening before they left. Ruby was lead to the parking lot and to Neo's car, which was the same small white one that had been at the gas station when they first met. Neo opened the trunk, allowing the two to store props and, in Ruby's case, huge black bathrobes. Ruby had made sure to wear normal clothing underneath in case she felt like taking the robe off.

It wasn't until they had pulled onto the road that it occurred to Ruby that she got into the car with someone she had only met twice and knew almost nothing about. A slight panic began to set in as Ruby thought back to the trunk, trying to remember if there were any tools that could be used to murder or kidnap with. It was empty before putting their thing in, so that was reassuring. Ruby took a look into the backseat, seeing nothing but a pink umbrella sitting there. Looking forward and taking a deep breath, Ruby calmed herself down, steadying her breathing. The car eventually pulled up into the parking lot of a mall, allowing Neo a moment to write down a question.

" _I've been in here before and I know there's a food court. This sound good?"_ Neo asked, reaching behind her seat and pulling out the same sweater from the gas station encounter. Ruby said it was a fine option, then helping Neo pull off the wig when there was a worry it was stuck on her head. Walking in together, the familiar scent and sounds told Ruby where they were. This was the mall right across from 2nd & Charles.

"Hey, I've been here before! Awesome choice, they have a great food court!" Ruby gave Neo a victory high-five. As the two made their way to the food court, Ruby barely noticed a familiar face in the sea of them. The sight of it told Ruby's immediate impulses to run, but reminded herself that she was good. She doesn't work on Saturdays.

"Well, hello there, Ruby." Coco greeted her employee, her arm hooked with another woman's, someone with long brown hair whom Ruby hadn't met. "Surprised to see you here. I thought you'd be at Hamacon right now." Coco eyed Ruby suspiciously, her gaze switching between her and Neo.

"All the panels ended up being full, so Neo and I decided to leave early." Ruby informed her boss. "Oh, this is my friend Neo, by the way. Neo, this is my boss, Coco. Who's this with you?" Ruby asked, giving the brown haired woman a smile/

"Nice to meet you, Neo. And this is my girlfriend, Velvet. Didn't I tell you about her a work a week or so ago?" Coco raised an eyebrow, getting her best "boss" face on. "Or do you not listen to the things I tell you?" Coco lowered her voice, giving Ruby a glare. Ruby backed away, a sheepish look overtaking her face. Coco laughed, letting go of Velvet and putting her hands on Ruby's shoulders. "I'm joking. Calm down, I'm not always in work mode. So, Neo, if I might ask, how did you meet Ruby? I don't think she's ever mentioned you." Neo took out her notebook and began writing, causing both Velvet and Coco to raise their eyebrows.

" _Well, we originally met at a gas station, where she bought me a drink I couldn't pay for. Then we encountered again yesterday at Hamacon, where we hung out and talked whenever there were moments of free time."_ Neo answered, holding out the notebook. Coco smiled for a brief moment before grabbing Ruby's arm and pulling her aside, abandoning Neo and Velvet. Coco gave Ruby a hard stare for a moment before speaking.

"Ruby, as your boss, I must ask you something. Are you telling me that you spent the entire day yesterday with a girl one year older than you, that you have only met once, then thought would be a good idea to get into her car and allow her to drive?" Coco grabbed Ruby's shoulder again, this time out of concern. Ruby slowly nodded, feeling like she was sweating bullets. Coco sighed, taking off her sunglasses and pinching the bridge of her nose with thumb and pointer finger. "Why?"

"Well, I don't know! At the time I agreed to go with her, I thought I knew her well enough, and it didn't even occur to me until we were already driving here!" Ruby exclaimed, keeping her voice low.

"No, Ruby Rose, you aren't that stupid. The Ruby I know would be too paranoid to trust someone she barely knows like that." Coco stared into Ruby's silver eyes, searching her expression. With a blush and the occasional glaces behind her, where Velvet and Neo were looking at them, Coco understood. "Ah, I see. You think Neo's cute, don't you? In the romantic sense, I mean. I have to say, Ruby, I didn't think y-"

"What? No I don't!" Ruby exclaimed, causing people around them to look her way. "No, I don't. I don't know why I decided to, alright?" Ruby whispered to Coco. Coco simply shrugged.

"If you say so. But until I see proof of otherwise, you "swinging the other way" is my main theory." Coco walked back to Velvet, grasping her hand. Ruby stared at her boss, still possessing a slight blush. No, she didn't think of Neo like that. Only as a friend.

…

Right?


	4. Chapter 4 - Broken Hearts

Coco and Velvet had decided to join Neo and Ruby on their trip to the food court, which Neo had found odd. Coco was Ruby's boss, but they seemed so casual when hanging out together. Well, except for when Coco took Ruby aside and the two started whispering to each other. Whatever they were talking about, it made Ruby blush, and Neo became slightly concerned. When they had claimed a table Neo scribbled out a message between bites of her burger.

" _Are you alright? When you and Coco were talking I saw you blushing and giving quick glances back at where Velvet and I were standing. You looked uncomfortable."_ Neo handed Ruby the message, only to get the notebook shaved back into her hands and a dismissive answer, paired with a large bite of food and another blush from Ruby. Neo, putting her growing curiosity aside, knew better than to pry. Not yet, anyway. As they ate in silence, Neo thought back to her first meeting with Ruby.

She had been standing behind the girl for a good thirty seconds before she had decided to risk it and grab the drink. When Ruby turned to face her, Neo's breath had almost been taken away. Ruby had beautiful silver eyes, unlike Neo's left pink eye and right brown eye, which she absolutely hated. Her short red hair instantly drew Neo's gaze, which Neo now thought maybe was the point of it. Ruby had started at Neo for a moment and greeted her before grabbing her own and the two walking opposite ways before rejoining at the checkout counter. That was when Neo had realized she had forgotten her wallet. Walking out of the gas station store she felt embarrassed as she waited for Roman to return to the car, but when she saw Ruby walk out with the strawberry Monster, she felt a mix of emotions. It was anger, because Neo thought Ruby had bought the drink for herself, mixed with hopefulness as Ruby walked her way. Neo was stunned at Ruby's kindness more than anything. And that made Neo happy inside. Ruby was willing to buy her, a complete stranger, a drink she couldn't afford.

The problem was, in the day they had spent together at the convention, Ruby could barely handle a conversation with anyone. She had allowed pictures to be taken of her, sure, but anyone else almost seemed to cause Ruby to go into shutdown mode. A majority of the time Neo dragged Ruby away because the girl would just stand there when asked a simple question. So for Ruby to be so bold on her first impression but be awkward and introverted on the second was intriguing to Neo. And now, here Ruby was, having not said one word to Neo after they had stepped into the mall. Neo was very, very confused at this point.

Despite that, Ruby's kindness and her striking silver eyes attracted Neo to her. Neo thought it was stupid, having feelings for someone she barely knew. Though, that was how a lot of relationships started, right?

"So, what do you two plan to do after this? Surely a day like this can't be wasted by simply going home." Coco asked Neo and Ruby, returning to the table after she had offered to rid everyone of their trash. Neo was a bit surprised at the question, as she hadn't really thought about it. They had originally left the convention due to crowded panels and for food, but they didn't plan to return. "Velvet and I won't be around all day. You interrupted our date, and we wish to get back to it and soon as possible." Neo thought for a moment, pondering and allowing Ruby a moment to speak if she had any ideas. A light bulb lit up in Neo's head, coming up with the perfect place to go. She began to furiously write, almost ripping the paper.

" _Ruby, I know the perfect place we can go. If you still have your Pokemon stuff on you, I know a game shop called Mad Doctor here that has a group of Pokemon players that meet up on Saturdays. I can teach you more there!"_ Neo smiled triumphantly, however Ruby looked more confused at the final sentence. Neo wrote down an explanation. " _Ruby, I have decided that, as of today, I will be your official Pokemon Mentor! I shall educate you in the ways of the video game and card game, until one day you can perhaps rival even me!"_ Before Ruby could reply, Neo grabbed her hand and waved goodbye to Velvet and Coco, dragging Ruby off to her car to begin the trip.

"Neo, geez, you can't keep doing that, you're gonna break my arm or something." Ruby pried her hand free from Neo's grasp, the two stopping in the middle of the parking lot. Neo smiled apologetically, rocking on the heels of her feet. Ruby looked down at the shorter girl, the frustration that almost became anger washing away. Whether or not she was attracted to Neo, there was no way you could stay mad at that face. Ruby felt her cheeks flush a bit when she caught herself just staring at Neo's face for a few moments. "So, uh, anyway, Mad Doctor? Being my coach? What's that about?" Ruby steered the conversation a different direction, attempting to get her mind off of the thoughts Coco had now planted in her head.

" _You'll see."_

Ruby didn't appreciate Neo's vagueness as they drove away from the mall and into the main city, the smaller town morphing into a bustling city. There were many more alleyways, and the sidewalks filled with civilians and the occasional stray animal. This was the city alright. Neo drove for a while until, finally, she pulled in front of an apartment building turned business. Over the door hung a sign that read "Mad Doctor" with the logo being a beaker filled with a bubbling green substance. Neo bounded up to the entrance, holding the door open for Ruby, who wasn't far behind. Ruby laughed at the silly bow Neo did as Ruby passed, as if she were a butler doing a simple chore for her master.

"Well, what do you know." Came a deep but feminine voice from inside, a figure approaching them. A woman wearing a crimson long-sleeve t-shirt, with one sleeve ripped off, stood there, some of her hair covering her left eye. "Who thought I'd ever see the day that the familiar brown and pink hair came walking back into my little establishment." Neo embraced the woman in a hug, which the black-haired woman happily returned. "And I see you've brought a friend as well. What's your name, girl?" The woman looked at Ruby, who had tried her best not to be seen.

"Er, Ruby." Ruby shyly replied, her cover blown.

"Nice to meet you, Ruby. I'm Cinder, I run this little game shop here." Cinder offered a hand to shake, which Ruby hesitantly took. Cinder arched an eyebrow at Ruby's shyness. "Why so reserved? You have no need to be nervous here, any friend of Neo's is a friend of mine. And speaking of the topic of Neo…" Cinder grabbed Neo's shoulder, pushing her into the main room of the store, where customers were playing games against one another. "Hey, everyone, guess who's here!" Neo sent Cinder a scolding glare, one which Cinder just ignored. The room of players all sent out a greeting and brief applause before going back to their respective tasks. Cinder chuckled. "That's the longest I've managed to hold their attention. Good to see you're still well liked around here."

"I'm confused. What's happening?" Ruby asked tentatively, coming up behind Cinder and Neo. Cinder gave Neo a questioning glance, which was returned by a shrug from Neo. Cinder went into a small closet like room, coming back out a few moments later holding a picture frame, blowing the dust off of it.

"Ten years ago, Mad Doctor held its first ever Pokemon Tournament. I was eleven years old at the time, only there because my father dragged me there. Little did I know what I was going to witness. On that day, a little seven year old girl with mismatched eyes walked through the door, DS in hand and an unwavering smile on her face." Cinder handed her the picture frame, which Ruby had to wipe a bit to see the picture inside. It was a picture of a younger Neo, recognizable because of her eyes. She was beaming wide, holding a Gengar plushie that must have been the prize for the tournament. On the picture, written in permanent marker, was " _#1 Champion!"_ Ruby chuckled at the younger Neo, who was just as cute back then as she was now. "Ever since then she's been the youngest player to win any tournament we've ever held. She comes up to this part of the state once a month to play Pokemon with us again, so she's well known and always welcome." Neo took out her notebook, and began to write.

" _It's nice to see you again, Cinder. I'd love to keep chatting, but I have a student to teach. Follow me Ruby!"_ Neo marched into the room with their fellow players, claiming an empty table. Ruby waved to Cinder before making her way around the tables, narrowly avoiding bags on the floor and resisting to pet the dog that someone had brought with them. Taking her seat next to Neo, Ruby reached into her bag to get out her cards, but then she noticed that Neo had brought out a 3DS. Ruby cursed herself for not even thinking to bring her own. Of course she'd want to do more than the card game.

"I forgot to bring mine, I'm sorry." Ruby slumped a bit in her chair. Neo scooted closer, scribbling in her notebook as she did.

" _It's alright. You can take some notes from me. I'm working on my team for next year's World Championship, I'll show you my process. Sound good?"_ Ruby nodded in response to Neo's question, and Ruby watched as she worked on her team. As they sat there for the next hour or so, Ruby began to determine what Neo's process likely was. Her first three Pokemon were her trademark Vanilluxe, and one Pokemon from the two teams she used during both of the World Championships. The other three were the Pokemon she was currently working on. From what Ruby could tell, Neo's way of creating a Pokemon team was simply choosing Pokemon the complemented the others well and EV trained them. Ruby was surprisingly shocked there wasn't too much to it. She would have thought that there was more to it. Granted, Neo worked on their movesets, but that was really it. By the time they came back into reality, a majority of the previous customers and players had left, leaving only a small handful of people, including the two of them.

"I had a good time, Neo. Thanks for… the lesson, I guess? I'm not really sure what you're trying to teach me…" Ruby got up and pushed the chair back under the table. Neo closed the DS and joined Ruby, getting her bag. They left the store, waving a goodbye to Cinder, with an extra hug from Cinder for both of them. Riding in the car back to Ruby's apartment building, Ruby thought back to what happened with Coco.

Did Ruby find Neo attractive? Was Ruby gay? No, she couldn't. Of course, now that Ruby thought about it, she realized that she never had crushes on guys in the past. But she grew up her entire life being told that it was wrong! When she found out that Coco was gay, she looked past it as to keep her job. When she joined Coco and Velvet during lunch, she was just being kind. Her silence during the lunch was her keeping herself from having an outburst at the couple. All her life, she had been told by everyone around her that being gay was wrong. That it was a sin that guaranteed you a spot in hell, not that Ruby was religious. That it was even illegal in other countries. If Ruby was gay, could she even go on-

A tap on her shoulder brought her back. It was Neo, holding out a slip of paper torn from her notebook. They were in front of Ruby's apartment building, the sun just beginning to set. Ruby opened the door of the car and stepped out before taking the paper.

" _I had fun today. It was nice to hang out!"_ A series of numbers was written under that sentence, obviously a phone number. " _Here's my number, so we can stay in touch. I have to go back to Montgomery, but like Cinder told you, I'll be back every month!"_ Ruby took the paper, slipping it into her pocket. With a slightly shaking hand, Ruby wrote her number down in Neo's notebook. Ruby made her way to hand Neo the notebook, but dropped it onto the floor of the car. Ruby bent down to pick it up, and when her face came back up, she was met with one pink and one brown eye. Neo's face was no less than a few inches away from Ruby's. Ruby blushed, not sure what to do, frozen in the moment. Ruby screamed at herself to back away, but her motor functions didn't seem to be working. Before Ruby's head could process that Neo was moving closer, she felt a pair of lips brush against hers. For a split second, Ruby thought about letting it continue.

But her mind got the better of her. Ruby jumped back, dropping the notebook into the car and falling onto the asphalt road. Her body was shaking, tears were flowing down her face, her heart was pounding. She was feeling so many things at one moment. Sadness, fear, anger, confusion. She clumsily got up, almost falling back down.

" _No. No, no, no, no, NO, NO NO!"_ Ruby screamed in her mind, standing there and staring at Neo. This can't be happening. Why did it happen? Neo had only met Ruby three weeks ago, and didn't get to know her until the previous day. There was no reason for Neo to want this! Ruby fell to her hands and knees, the asphalt scraping her knees. Looking down wide-eyed, Ruby felt a hand touch her shoulder. She looked up, seeing a worried Neo over her. Ruby pushed her away, getting off of the ground and backing away.

"St-stay away! STAY AWAY!" Ruby screamed. Despite the confusing feeling she felt, her heart broke when she noticed Neo crying, unable to make any noise, only tears streaming down her face. But instead of comforting her, Ruby ran, ran up the stairs and to her room, where she didn't even acknowledge Yang, slammed the door behind her and locked the door. Ruby slid to the floor, her hand clutching her chest. Tears wet her clothes. Her heavy breathing and pounding heart drowned out the knocking of Yang, demanding that Ruby open door. As Ruby sat there, attempting to make sense of the world around her, she came to a horrible realization. When Neo had kissed her...

She liked it.

-Heyo Break Time-Skip Thing Here-

Ruby hadn't gone in for work the next day. She kept herself locked in her room. She had only slept for four hours, from what she could tell. She hadn't eaten. She hadn't done anything but sit at the foot of her door, regretting everything she had done.

She had hurt Neo, someone Ruby had managed to become close to having only known the girl for a total of three days. Someone that Ruby had felt confident to tell some of her deepest secrets to. Whether or not that was because Neo couldn't blurt them out was irrelevant now. Someone Ruby had come to deeply care for, despite the communication boundaries.

Why did she react that way? Ruby blamed the shock of the kiss at first. But all the thinking she had done for about eleven hours now made her think otherwise. She had no one to blame but herself. She could have easily just reacted calmly. She could have just turned Neo down. But it couldn't be that simple, could it? Sixteen years of beliefs clashed with inner feelings, and Ruby decided to hurt Neo.

All the thinking she had done revealed something else as well. Her entire life had gone by without a second thought of what she had been told. However, that entire time she had never had any feelings for any guys she had met. When Jaune had hit on her on occasions before, Ruby brushed it off as regular Jaune, hitting on any girl he came across. She didn't have feelings for him. In fact, she hadn't had feelings for any guy, ever. Why hadn't she noticed it sooner? Was she just not around enough girls? Did her beliefs keep her blind? That didn't matter. What did matter was that Ruby was gay. And it was destroying her. She felt scared. She felt like a monster. What would her Dad think? What would Yang's mom, Raven, think? That didn't really matter, since they didn't live them them anymore. But what would Yang think? Yang was the only person who hadn't told Ruby being gay was wrong.

Ruby felt a sharp pang in her hand. She hadn't even realized that her nails were digging into her palm. Her palm was bleeding profusely. Ruby sighed, standing up and facing the door. She felt her face stained with tears, but she ignored it. She stepped out of her bedroom, making her way to the bathroom. She didn't bat an eye at the fact that her palm was staining the carpet with red. She just needed a bandage. Then it was back to her room. The kitchen. The kitchen had the first aid-kit. She opened the kitchen cabinet, searching for it. When a voice from behind her spoke, Ruby felt her blood go cold.

"Well, well, we meet again, Red." Roman spat. Ruby could hear the venom in his voice. She slowly turned. Roman's outfit was the same as last time, only he had no hat on. His orange hair was messy. "Out of all the places for us to meet, I didn't think it would be in the blondie's apartment. She was much nicer to Neo after she found my sister outside, crying hysterically. I was called here and I was informed of last night's events." Roman looked down at Ruby, the look of murder on his face. "I would love to hurt you so badly right now. But I promised Yang I wouldn't do anything, so you're safe."

"Roman, I-" Ruby was interrupted by the taller man.

"I'm not the person you need to apologize to. If you are truly sorry, you should apologize to Neo and tell her how you really feel." Ruby was shocked. How did he know? "You talk really loudly in your sleep. Must have really been eating you up if you confessed to the night. You're lucky Neo was asleep by then." Ruby got chills knowing that Roman had been there, apparently watching her while she slept. "I don't know why Neo likes you so much. She's only known you for three days. But whatever she sees in you is something she really likes. Enough for her to still have feelings for you even after what you did last night. So fix this, or I'll have to break a promise." And with that, Roman walked off, leaving a still bleeding Ruby standing there.

 **A/N I don't know why people are liking this story, but they do, so I keep on writing. So, I know that there were some things that seem pretty sudden in this chapter, but don't worry. I plan on rewriting past chapters at some point to help this feel a bit more natural. Like alluding to Ruby being a homophobe, and maybe some more small moments to justify Ruby's actual romantic feelings for Neo. I want this story to feel like the pairing was natural and not forced for the sake of getting to the fluff. So yeah.**

 **In response to RootBeverage: Thanks you! Obviously I do plan to continue this story, and I'm glad you like the idea, but my writing could definitely be much better, as seen by my sudden decision to make Ruby homophobic, even if it only lasted for a few paragraphs.**

 **In response to bwburke94: No, I don't consider it a crossover. It's definitely a RWBY story, I just thought the idea of the two being fans of Pokemon and playing it competitively was a cool idea. It would be a crossover if I set RWBY in a world where Pokemon actually existed.**


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